MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday appealed to the public to remain calm and avoid panic buying or stockpiling bottled water as the national government prepares contingency measures for an impending “super El Niño.”
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the call following viral social media posts showing residents hoarding gallons of drinking water. The buying spree was triggered by fears of prolonged drought and a potential cut in Metro Manila’s water allocation, which could drop from 50 cubic meters per second (cms) to 44 cms this month.
Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, October 1, Castro reassured citizens that state agencies are actively managing the situation, making panic buying unnecessary.
“Hindi po kinakailangang mag-panic; kailangan lang po ng tamang pagprepara,” Castro said.
The Palace official warned that panic buying could trigger artificial shortages and unnecessarily inflate prices by draining retail supplies. She clarified that the country is not facing a supply deficit for potable water.
“Wala po tayong nababalitaan na kukulangin po tayo ng suplay patungkol po sa mga inuming tubig,” she noted.
Castro also cautioned consumers against unnecessary stockpiling, pointing out that bottled water carries an expiration date.
“Hindi po advisable na kayo ay magtago, mag-hoard ng tubig ngayon para iniisip ninyong mawawalan tayo ng tubig na maiinom,” she added.
Rather than buying up commercial supplies, the official urged households to adopt simple water-conservation practices at home to mitigate the dry spell’s effects.
“Kung may mga leak na dapat maayos sa inyong kabahayan ay dapat nang maisaayos din po,” Castro urged.
“Mga simpleng gawain na makakatulong nang malaki para matugunan din natin ang epekto ng super El Niño,” she added.
To cushion the impact on critical sectors, Castro highlighted that the Department of Agriculture (DA) has ₱6.2 billion allocated under its 2026 budget to assist farmers and fisherfolk grappling with drought and rising energy costs. Additionally, the 2026 General Appropriations Act includes ₱39.83 billion in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) for climate-related emergencies.
Looking ahead to next year’s budget, the administration has proposed increasing the NDRRMF allocation to ₱45.67 billion for 2027, alongside ₱9.885 billion in quick-response funds for frontline agencies.
The proposed 2027 spending plan also earmarked ₱11.18 billion for National Food Authority rice buffer stocks, ₱4.5 billion for crop insurance covering roughly 2.34 million small farmers and fisherfolk, and ₱46.356 billion for the National Irrigation Administration, which includes ₱30.47 billion dedicated to irrigation development and rehabilitation.